The present disclosure relates generally to cleaning equipment, and more particularly, to a clean-in-place configuration for cleaning batch processing equipment.
Batch processing systems are used in many industries, including for example, dairies, breweries, and pharmaceutical plants. System equipment of batch processing facilities process product in batches or lots and require cleaning between each lot of product processed through the system. These systems typically include equipment such as tanks, pumps, valves, and variously sized piping. Effective batch cleaning processes not only provide better quality products, but also are often required by governmental regulations.
Early methods of cleaning batch processing equipment involved manually scrubbing large batch tanks, valves, and piping. This process requires disassembly of various components and is quite cumbersome and costly. Many batch processing plants now use a clean-in-place (CIP) procedure, which allows partially automatic cleaning while the equipment of the batch processing system remains physically assembled. The CIP procedures rely on temperature, pressure, and chemical concentration of a cleaning fluid, which is re-circulated through the batch processing system, to effectively clean and/or sanitize the batch processing equipment. However, current systems that use a CIP procedure still have some portions that require manual cleaning, which is labor intensive, expensive, and time consuming.
Furthermore, during a CIP procedure, it is important that product is separated from the cleaning fluid to avoid contamination of the product. In the past, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required manual disconnect between the equipment to be cleaned and the product lines for assurance of separation between product lines and chemical-based cleaning fluids. Various industries and the FDA have worked together to set standards for failsafe, automated separation or isolation. These standards have evolved into the current technology, which utilizes automatic air-operated valves in combination with regulatory standards that ensure product lines are protected from chemical-based cleaning fluid contamination.
To enhance the failsafe operation, automatic air-operated valves are required to have spring-to-failsafe configurations. Furthermore, any blocking valve that is between a header or line that contains a cleaning fluid and a line that contains a product is required to have a mating bleed valve. The bleed valve provides a fluid path for the cleaning fluid to a drain or atmosphere (e.g., to the ground) in case the blocking valve fails. The bleed valve thus protects against contamination of the product. The problem with this requirement is that having one bleed valve for each blocking valve is expensive and causes unnecessarily complicated and bulky valve systems.
In general terms, the present invention is directed to a valve assembly for a batch processing system that includes a single bleed valve for a plurality of blocking valves.
One aspect of the present invention is a valve assembly for cleaning vessels within a food processing system. The valve assembly comprises two or more product blocking valves. Each product blocking valve has a first port arranged for fluid communication with a vessel and a second port arranged for fluid communication with a product line. One bleed valve has an input port and a drain port. The drain port is in simultaneous fluid communication with the first port of each of the product blocking valves.
Another aspect of this invention relates to a valve arrangement for use in batch processing operations. The valve arrangement comprises a first valve assembly for directing fluid communication of a first media and a second valve assembly for directing fluid communication of at least a second and third media. The second valve assembly includes a primary isolation valve; a plurality of media valves, including at least a first media valve and a second media valve; and a bleed valve. The second valve assembly is arranged to direct fluid communication from the first valve assembly to the bleed valve in the event of failure of the primary isolation valve of the second valve assembly.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a valve assembly for use in a food processing system. The valve assembly comprises a first subassembly for directing fluid communication of cleaning fluid and a second subassembly for directing fluid communication of food products. The second subassembly includes a plurality of food product valves, including at least a first food product valve and a second food product valve, and a blocking valve in fluid communication with the food product valves. The blocking valve operates to direct fluid communications from the food product valves to a food reservoir. The blocking valve also operates to isolate the food product valves from the first subassembly during clean-in-place operations. The second subassembly further includes a bleed valve in fluid communication with the blocking valve. The bleed valve operates to provide a passageway to safely discharge cleaning fluid if the blocking valve fails to isolate the first and second product valves from the first subassembly during clean-in-place operation of the food processing system.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a cheese processing system. The cheese processing system comprises a vat having an upper portion and a lower portion. A vat port is located in the lower portion of the vat for providing bottom filling of the vat. The cheese processing system further comprises an output line for transport of a cleaning fluid, a first food product line for transport of a fluid milk product, and a second food product line for transport of a mixture of fluid milk product and cheese curds.
The cheese processing system also includes a valve assembly. The valve assembly provides fluid communication between: the vat and the first output line; the first food product line and the vat; and the vat and the second food product line. The valve assembly includes a clean-in-place valve arrangement and a product isolation valve arrangement. The clean-in-place valve arrangement has a first blocking valve and a clean-in-place bleed valve. The first blocking valve is in fluid communication with the vat port and the clean-in-place bleed valve. The clean-in-place bleed valve is in fluid communication with the first output line and a bleed line. The product isolation valve arrangement has a second blocking valve in fluid communication with the vat port. The second blocking valve is sized to accommodate transportation of the mixture of fluid milk product and cheese curds. The product isolation valve arrangement also has a third blocking valve in fluid communication with the second blocking valve and the first food product line and a fourth blocking valve in fluid communication with the second blocking valve and the second food product line. The fourth blocking valve is sized to accommodate transportation of the mixture of fluid milk product and cheese curds. The product isolation valve arrangement further includes a product isolation bleed valve in fluid communication with the second blocking valve and a drain. The product isolation valve arrangement selectively operates to isolate the first and second food product lines during vat clean-in-place operations.
Yet another aspect of present invention relates to the method of cleaning a system. The system includes a vat, used for processing food product, having a vat port located at the bottom of the vat. The system further includes a valve arrangement in fluid communication with the vat; the valve arrangement having a first blocking valve in fluid communication with the vat port and a first bleed valve in fluid communication the first blocking valve and a cleaning fluid output line. The valve arrangement also has a second blocking valve in fluid communication with the vat port. The second blocking valve includes a common junction. A third blocking valve is in fluid communication with the common junction and a first product line. A fourth blocking valve is in fluid communication with the common junction and a second product line. A second bleed valve is located in fluid communication with the common junction of the second blocking valve and a drain. The method of cleaning relates to selectively actuating or switching the valve arrangement to a clean-in-place configuration for cleaning of the vat.
The clean-in-place configuration actuation comprises: opening the first blocking valve and the first bleed valve to provide fluid communication between the vat and a cleaning fluid output line; closing the second blocking valve so that fluid communication is blocked from entering the common junction; closing the third and fourth blocking valves to provide failsafe operation and prevent fluid communication to product lines if the second blocking valve develops a leak; and opening the second bleed valve so that in the event of the second blocking valve developing a leak, fluid communication is effected through the second bleed valve to a drain. During the clean-in-place process, food product remains within the product lines.
Further, the present invention relates to another aspect of a method of cleaning food product equipment. In this aspect, a product valve arrangement includes a first product valve, a second product valve, a product isolation valve, and a bleed valve. Each valve has a valve surface that contacts food product during processing operations. The method of cleaning comprises flushing a cleaning fluid through the food product equipment in a continuous flow cycle for a period of time and exposing the each of the valve surfaces simultaneously to the cleaning fluid during the flushing period without interruption of the continuous flow cycle.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description of various aspects of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive.